The Perils of Ice Cream Socials

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Sweets

[Possible Trigger Warning-- I'll be discussing relationships with food, very cursorily and probably superficially.]

It was Staff Appreciation Week at my office last week, and I can’t lie: I generally feel super-appreciated each year. Last year they hosted a cupcake-decorating class (still the best frosting job I’ve ever managed); this year they kicked things off with an in-office visit from Coldstone Creamery. Sugar and Circuses, that’s the Firm’s motto.

Did I deliberately eat a small but healthy lunch, the better to save room for afternoon deliciousness? Did I zoom downstairs to the conference room as soon as I got an email with “ice cream” in the subject line? Did I ask for a cup with pretty much everything in it, even though the flavors did not, how should we say, “go together”? Did I savor every over-the-top, sweet, delicious, ridiculous bite? DUH.

DID PRACTICALLY EVERY SINGLE OTHER STAFF MEMBER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE ICE CREAM TO BITCH ABOUT CALORIES, SUGAR, FAT, AND DAIRY? Of course they effing did.

Ohhh, I got mad. In two minutes I decided that all of my co-workers were Food Police Minions of Awful. Did they not realize that situations like this, of fun treats laden with guilt and judgment, led to terrible, horrible, no-good very bad messed up feelings about food and our bodies? I was so angry, standing there, eating my ice cream, not saying anything in response to the “I’m trying to be good” and “Sugar is really just poison” and “I’m so fat, I’ll have to go the gym for longer” and “If only they’d had sorbet” flying around me. I was all set to yell and scream about people who were so self-centered they decided to show up to something very clearly called an Ice Cream Social in order to sing their own praises while simultaneously making themselves and everyone else around them feel bad about their life choices. Man, I was gonna show it to them. I was gonna BLOG THEM A NEW ONE.

And then, while I was merrily criticizing the Most Annoying Co-Worker (the most martyred martyr of them all, she who told us how bad the ice cream we were enjoying was and how she was trying to be “a good girl” and who plaintively whined “is there sorbet?”), I realized A) I was being an insensitive asshole, and B) judgment goes both ways. I wanted to scream “Will y’all just shut up and eat the freaking ice cream and chill out already?” It’s just not that simple.

Look, I understand food preferences and aversions very, very well. I am deeply sympathetic to people who have food allergies. If I was allergic to chocolate or dairy I would be the saddest, mopiest person ever, yet somehow there are people who carry on bravely, without Friend Ice Cream by their side. I also absolutely salute the Most Annoying Co-Worker for making her own choices and for wanting to take care of her body. I totally think, despite my username and raison d’être, that I could do with a little less sugar in my diet. I make a point of trying to include leafy vegetables, fruit, and protein in my meals. Healthy choices get a huge seal of approval from me. I CANNOT sign off, however, on her 1) phrasing food choices in terms of “I’m good” or “I’m bad” and 2) attending an event called an “Ice Cream Social,” only to shame anyone (read: everyone) else who indulged. I may not have liked it, but I needed to step back and acknowledge whence cometh the Crazy.

It’s not really news that our relationship with food is messed up. I get that we’re bombarded with confounding, conflicting messages every day about industrial farming, healthy fat, cholesterol, wheat bellies, poisonous sugar, 10 quick tips to a flatter belly, juice cleanses, eating everything in moderation, cutting out processed foods, dark chocolate’s being good for us, eating seasonally, paleo/gluten-free/dairy-free diets, ice cream will help you over that breakup, wine is good, wine is bad, our blood type can determine our diet! etc., etc. etc. Is it really any wonder if we feel overwhelmed, or discouraged, or frustrated, and that sometimes we don’t react well to, you know, food? Of course it isn’t. It can be hard to sort out the sound advice from the silly advice, and ultimately, much like bras and bra fitting, the best solution is going to vary wildly from individual to individual. So when faced with a big empty cup and two strapping gentlemen waiting to fill it with ice cream and cookies, our first reactions are often panic, instead of delight.

Sure, Coldstone Creamery’s offerings aren’t healthy. We all know this. But do we eat ginormous helpings of ice cream crammed full of cookies and candy every day of the week? We do not. I think the last time I had Coldstone was . . . last year, during Staff Appreciation Week. So yeah, I knew exactly what I was eating. And I just ate it. It was delicious, it was a once-in-a-blue-moon treat, and I refuse to feel badly about it. You guys, don’t apologize for showing up to an event you were invited to. Don’t feel the need to tell us how many extra crunches you’re going to do tonight. It’s really okay. You weren’t invited here as some sort of sting operation to catch you in the Act of Eating Sugar. You were invited here as a thank you. It’s just a treat You can eat it. You can abstain. It’s your choice, it’s really not a big deal, and if someone makes it a big deal, that’s literally their problem, not yours.

I’m not sure when and why other people’s food choices became acceptable social conversation. It’s like how it’s acceptable to discuss, in terms of virtue, the size of pregnant women’s bellies (ugh, come on, it’s NEVER acceptable). Just as I know that other people have dangerous food allergies, or choose for a variety of reasons to abstain from consuming animal products, so too do I know that other people choose to abstain from certain foods for a variety of health or other personal reasons. While my gut reaction last week was to scream “just eat the freaking ice cream!”, this week I’m feeling a little calmer and, I hope, a little more understanding. So I’ll say this:

Eat what you want. If someone questions you, either for indulging or for abstaining, just say “it’s delicious!” OR “eh, I don’t really want any.” If someone says “ooooh, you’re so good,” “tsk, tsk, you’ll have to work hard to burn that off,” “aw, come on, you don’t need to lose weight,” “oh stop it, just eat it!”, “don’t you WANT some,” etc., just demur. Say “okay” if they praise you and “no thank you” if they press you. If they continue to comment, just say “if you don’t mind, I’d rather change the subject.” Then change the subject. Having conflicting feelings about certain foods is natural in this day and age, but someone who continues to comment on and analyze your choices is straight up rude and insensitive. You do you.

But seriously, if you tell me how many calories there are in anything I’m eating, our friendship is dead.

Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender Caramel Sauce

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Sweets

In all of the Curve/Lingerie Collective/LingerieFW madness, my domestic goddess skills totally fell by the wayside. My desk and coffee table are buried under catalogues and line sheets, there’s a stack of business cards I deeply hope the cat doesn’t discover and knock over, and the laundry pile is growing ominous. One night I stopped by Whole Foods to find something, anything, even slightly healthy to eat for dinner, as there was nothing but rice and baking chocolate in my apartment. The horrifyingly long check-out line snaked past the cheese & chocolate cases, and who am I not to inspect a chocolate case? Please. We don’t have to pretend here. And lo, there was a jar of Lavender-Floral Caramel sauce, and I stopped in my tracks to stare at it. I couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t thought of making infused caramel before, and as the jar was $13, which is foolishness, I decided there was no time like the present to get started!

I WANTS TO HELP YOU!

Now, sure, I could have made a basic batch of vanilla ice cream that would have been delicious and decadent. I COULD have. But having just seen dozens of lingerie collections that played with unexpected and unusual combinations, I decided to go for an ice cream that was infused with an unexpected flavor that would complement the delicate lavender without overwhelming it and that wouldn’t be buried under smoky caramel goodness. I’ve had green tea ice cream in the past, but I’ve been on an Earl Grey kick lately, and that’s where I went. Yep, it’s pretty awesome: perfect for a little late-night cozying with a good book.

For the ice cream:

2 tbsp. loose Earl Grey tea leaves
1 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream, divided
3/4 c. granulated sugar
pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir 1 c. of the cream, the whole milk, the sugar, the tea leaves, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, cover, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Combine the remaining cup of cream and the vanilla extract in a large measuring cup and place a mesh strainer over it.

Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl.

Return the saucepan with the tea mixture to the stove and bring to a bare simmer. Slowly pour the hot tea mixture into the egg yolks in a very thin stream (lest you scramble the eggs), whisking until combined. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and return to the stove over medium-low heat, stirring with a heat-proof spatula until a candy thermometer registers 165-168 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the cooked custard through the strainer into the measuring cup containing the remaining 1 c. of cream and vanilla and stir to combine. Refrigerate until quite cold, and then freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the caramel:

Soooooo I may have had trouble deciding which size bag of lavender to buy off Amazon. I think we can all agree I have enough.

Soooooo I may have had trouble deciding which size bag of lavender to buy off Amazon (somewhere all my past math teachers just shuddered without knowing why). I think we can all agree I have enough.

So this is a slightly different caramel technique than the one I described in the Chocolate Caramel Tart recipe, but only slightly. It’s called dry-burn,

Although if you actually burn it, you just have burned caramel. And then you have to start over.

and you caramelize the sugar without adding any water to it. It will cook up slightly faster, which means you just need to be extra mindful of it, because once it hits the dark amber stage you are super-close to burning it.

1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. dried culinary lavender blossoms (yep. still have enough)
1/2 tsp. honey
1 sprinkle cinnamon
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring the cream, lavender blossoms, honey, and cinnamon to a simmer over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and allow to steep at room temperature for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture into a small bowl or measuring cup and discard the lavender blossoms (too much lavender or too long an infusion can turn your dessert bitter, as I’ve learned the hard way in the past). Stir in the vanilla extract and set aside.

Spread the granulated sugar evenly in a smooth layer across the bottom of a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven with deep sides. Sprinkle the salt over over the layer of sugar. Cook the sugar and salt over medium-low heat without stirring. You’ll eventually get to a point where you can tell that the sugar at the bottom of the pan is melted and starting to color, but there’s still a fine layer of uncooked white sugar crystals on top. Using a heat-proof spatula, gently and slowly pull the melted, darkening edges of the caramel towards the center of the pan (note: these are the classic instructions. I used my Dutch oven (thanks mom!), and the sugar began to cook from the center out instead of the edges in, so I just reversed the direction). Continue this gentle pulling/stirring maneuver slowly until all of the sugar is melted. If you stir too much it’ll get clumpy, so go gently.

Things will move quickly once most of the solid bits have melted and dissolved. Once the mixture is a deep, dark brown and it’s just barely starting to smoke (about 20 minutes start-to-finish depending on your pan and your oven temperature) immediately remove the pan from the heat. Add the cold butter and begin to whisk vigorously. The mixture will bubble and steam a lot, so take care to avoid splatters. Once the butter and melted sugar are mostly combined, whisk in the lavender cream. If any lumps of undissolved caramel remain, return the pan to low heat and whisk until completely dissolved (if there are any stubborn bits you can strain them out). Serve right away or allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to a storage container and chilling. The sauce will thicken as it cools, and if it gets too thick for your liking you can add a little milk or cream to thin it out.

Yums.

Serve warm over Earl Grey ice cream, get lost in a good book.

Mmm. Hello, friend.

* * * * *

Speaking of getting lost in a good book, don’t you want some appropriate attire? I’ve been devouring the early-to-mid twentieth century classic British mystery writers lately (currently tearing through Ngaio Marsh’s Inspector Alleyn series), and so many of their gentleman and lady-detectives have these really spectacular writing/reading-the-paper/answering-correspondence/drinking-tea dressing gowns and smoking jackets. Now, considering I sometimes contort myself into fantastical sprawling positions when I’m reading, perhaps such elegance is currently beyond me, but in case you are of a more refined bent, allow me to suggest this beauty from Marika Vera, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Lingerie Collective (and who is a complete and utter delight).

“Selene” robe by Marika Vera, via Faire Frou Frou. Sizes S/M and M/L. $650.

It’s relaxed, breezy, sexy, delicate, and teasing, with a price tag Lord Peter Wimsey would approve of. Can’t you just picture how the open panels of the skirt will flutter and swirl as you rush to answer the midnight call from Scotland Yard? I’m sure you can. Marabou slippers are also appropriate here.

Espresso Bomb Ice Cream

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Sweets

What ho! I have internet again! Let’s GET DOWN TO IT.

[At some point in the future I'm going to provide the recipe for Espresso Bombs, but suffice it to say that they're essentially single servings of chilled coffee ganache, topped with chocolate-covered espresso beans. Chocolate, cream, espresso: an unholy trinity of awesome that inspired this ice cream.]

Julia Lambert and I take our birthday desserts VERY SERIOUSLY, especially when we get to celebrate our birthday together, so I have a zillion intense Gchat conversations in my archives devoted to the discussion of cake and ice cream for this past weekend. We went back and forth on the cake for a while, but once we’d made our decision, the ice cream was a no-brainer: it had to be chocolate. Our dad was also in NYC this weekend, and have I mentioned whence cometh my sweet tooth? This guy. He asked if he could man the blender and make us some boozy mudslide milkshakes, and we realized our chocolate ice cream was going to need a major coffee kick. We may be breaking with mudslide tradition slightly, but I think once you taste this ice cream you’ll forgive us.

There are generally two ways of making coffee ice cream: using instant coffee/espresso or infusing the custard with whole coffee beans. My guess is that most baking gurus would say to infuse (heat cream, milk, sugar, and coffee beans, allow to steep for an hour, then continue making ice cream as usual, straining the beans out of the custard before chilling and freezing), but here’s the thing: I’m hugely caffeine-sensitive. I drink coffee only under the direst circumstances, and with the understanding that my appetite and energy levels will be screwy for the next day and a half. So I don’t have any coffee beans in the apartment, but I do have a jar of espresso powder, because I’m a baker and most things chocolate-adjacent taste richer and deeper with a teaspoon or so of espresso powder tossed in, and for some reason the caffeine doesn’t bug me as much when it’s not served straight-up. So I’m going to be lazy and use that here. Those of you who ARE coffee drinkers will probably thank me for preserving your coffee beans for their intended use.

Espresso Bomb Ice Cream

Inspired by recipes from David Lebovitz and Marcel Desaulniers

2 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 c. whole milk
3/4 c. granulated sugar
5 tbsp. instant espresso powder
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

I made a double batch, so there are lots of egg yolks here. There was also LOTS of ice cream. All was right in the world.

Place a heavy-duty gallon-size freezer ziplock bag in a large Pyrex measuring cup, set aside. Coarsely chop the semisweet chocolate.

I think the best way to chop chocolate is with a very sharp serrated knife. You’ll break big blocks of chocolate up more quickly, and you won’t dull the heck out of your other cooking knives.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 c. of the cream, the espresso powder, and the cocoa powder and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the cocoa and espresso. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 30 seconds, and then remove from heat. Stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth, and then whisk in the remaining cup of cream. Pour the chocolate mixture into the ziplock bag and set a mesh strainer on top of the measuring cup.

Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside.

Using the same saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, and salt and warm the mixture over medium-low heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the egg yolks in a slow, steady stream. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and heat until it reaches approximately 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit, thickens, and coats the back of a spoon. Pour the custard through the strainer into the chocolate-cream mixture in the ziplock bag, add the vanilla extract, and stir. Press as much air as possible out of the ziplock bag and seal.

Place the sealed bag in the bowl of ice, top with more ice cubes, and then add cold water until bowl is full. Allow the ice cream custard to cool completely, around 40-60 minutes. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

This stuff is STRONG. I advise going for small servings, as I did here (although mostly it was an excuse to show off my adorable juice glass that was just so preciously à propos). Why yes, I DO amuse myself.

For mudslides according to Père Sweets, toss a few scoops of ice cream in a blender with some crushed ice, a splash of Kahlua, and a splash of chocolate liqueur. You can figure out the rest, I daresay. Enjoy!

“Lucia” by Fauve

“Lucia” in Chocolate. Balconette bra 30-40 D-GG, Half-cup bra 30-40 D-G, Brief, Short, Thong and Suspender XS-XXL.

It’s not often that you find beige or brown lingerie that’s particularly elegant, sexy, or thrilling, especially in the full-bust market. More often these colors are reserved for seamless or molded basics that don’t embrace the warmth and depth of rich chocolate shades. Fauve steps up to the plate, however, presenting their Lucia range in a gleaming chocolate satin that perfectly matches the silkiness and depth of our ice cream. While the earlier Ruby and Blue shades (some sizes still available on sale) are, for me, the ones that got away, the subtle glamor of the Chocolate shade has a seductive appeal. The details in the Lucia range are truly stunning: the black lace trim is elegant and sophisticated, I adore the asymmetrically-placed fabric bows that appear on the bras and accessories, and beautiful suspender belts get me every time. The briefs even feature a sexy sheer back with a ruched seam, which is great for curvy rears, topped with yet another sassy bow.

View of the details on the brief.

Fauve is a bit more luxurious than sister brand Freya, and is priced accordingly, but I think the elegant details make it absolutely worth it. A Sophisticated Pair published a great preview of Fauve’s Spring/Summer 2013 line last week, and Autumn/Winter 2012 styles are just beginning to hit stores. I think the A/W 2012 collection was photographed a bit . . . strangely for the brochure, but the lingerie itself is lovely as ever. Check it out!

Anise Ice Cream

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Sweets

When I serve this ice cream to other people they usually do a little bit of a double-take upon hearing the name. For some it’s a flavor they’ve never heard of, and for others it’s a flavor that is a little intimidating. Anise, licorice, and fennel can be polarizing; lots of people either love them or hate them. I fall into the middle: I adore roasted fennel, abhor black licorice (Trader Joe’s Strawberry Licorice, on the other hand . . . I can’t buy it anymore. It’s fiercely addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you), and I LOVE Anise Ice Cream.

The technique used here is classic and infinitely adaptable: you make a standard French egg-based custard, but you infuse some of the cream and milk with anise seeds and then strain them out before freezing. You can also replace the anise with your favorite herb or spice to create unusual and delicious ice creams. I’d recommend trying dried lavender blossoms (particularly since this recipe calls for a bit of honey, and lavender + honey is a lovely combo), fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, halved vanilla beans, or fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, or mint. I’ve even used Earl Grey tea leaves to make Earl Grey ice cream that is out of this world (want to make Earl Grey truffles? Same technique (infusion+straining) applies). The end result is rich and creamy, yes, but the sophisticated flavors lend some major elegance. Anise has a delicate, exotic flavor that pairs sensuously with dark chocolate. This ice cream plus Chocolate Wafers from Smitten Kitchen make for delicious homemade ice cream sandwiches, and if you have some good bittersweet or semisweet chocolate on hand, Anise Stracciatella Ice Cream (see tips at the end of the recipe) will rock your world. Promise.

Anise Ice Cream
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

2 tsp. anise seeds
2 c. heavy cream (divided)
1 c. whole milk
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. good-flavored honey
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks

In a medium saucepan, toast the anise seeds over medium-low heat until they’re fragrant and lightly toasted (about 2-3 minutes). Add 1 c. cream, milk, sugar, salt, and honey and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm. Cover pan, remove from heat, and allow the mixture to steep for an hour at room temperature.

Fill a large mixing bowl with ice cubes and set aside. Get out a gallon-size heavy-duty ziplock bag and place it in a large measuring cup or medium bowl. Pour the remaining 1 c. cream into the bag-in-the-bowl/measuring-cup and set a mesh strainer on top (depending on the ingredient you’re infusing, it may help to line the strainer with cheesecloth, just to catch any stray bits). In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.

Return the anise/milk/cream mixture to the stove over medium heat and re-warm. Slowly whisk the warm milk/cream mixture into the egg yolks, being sure to whisk all the while so the eggs don’t cook. Pour the custard base back into the saucepan and heat until the mixture reaches approximately 165-168 degrees Fahrenheit and coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly. Immediately remove from heat and pour through the mesh strainer into the ziplock bag with the remaining 1 c. of cream. Discard the anise seeds. Press as much air as possible out of the ziplock bag, seal it, place in bowl with ice cubes, pour a few more ice cubes on top, add some cold water, and leave to chill while you wash dishes/tidy up/make cookies/what have you. Once the mixture is quite cold (about 40 minutes-1 hour), freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer the semi-frozen ice cream to an airtight container and press a layer of parchment paper against the surface (air contact = ice crystals, so you always want to make sure the surface of your ice cream is completely covered) before sealing tightly. Place in freezer for a few hours until firm (or eat right away while it’s a melty milkshakey mess- yum).

To make ice cream sandwiches:

You’ll want to do some prep work while your ice cream is freezing. If I’m making a bunch of these (they make a really fun dinner party dessert), I’ve found it’s helpful to clear out my freezer space so that I have enough room to put my cooling racks in there. Set out several sheets of parchment paper cut to fit either the cooling rack or a cookie sheet. Pair up the cookies of your choice (again, these are SO GOOD with almost any ice cream flavor imaginable) and lay the cookie pairs out on the parchment paper. Once your ice cream is done freezing, immediately and quickly begin spooning generous tablespoons of soft ice cream onto one cookie, topping the ice cream with another cookie and pressing together gently. As soon as a cookie sheet or cooling rack is filled, place it in the freezer before moving on to the next one. Allow the sandwiches to sit in the freezer for an hour or two to firm up before plating, wrapping, or serving (the cookies will soften the longer the sandwiches rest in the freezer, so I like to make mine the day before I plan to serve them).

To make stracciatella ice creams:

“Stracciatella” (stracciatelle is the Italian word for “little flakes”, and “real” Stracciatella is an Italian egg-drop soup that’s made by pouring a stream of whisked eggs into boiling broth, which cooks the eggs) is a fancy way of saying “chocolate chip”, but instead of just dumping chocolate chips into ice cream so that they become hard, frozen, tooth-breaking nuggets, you pour a thin stream of melted chocolate into semi-frozen ice cream, stirring all the while. The chocolate freezes upon contact with the ice cream and then crackles into thin slivers and flakes as you stir it in. This is one of my favorite quick ways to fancy up homemade ice cream: you don’t have to get out more bowls and pots and pans and thermometers to make a fudge ripple or a fruit sauce, you just melt chocolate in a measuring cup in the microwave and stir it into the ice cream. Easy-peasy.

Chop about 5 oz. of good-quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (not chocolate chips). Melt the chocolate, either in a double boiler or in the microwave. There are two ways to tackle the next step, and both are equally messy:

1. While the ice cream maker is still turning, but the ice cream is about ready to transfer to the freezer, pour the melted chocolate slowly into the opening in the lid. You may have to stop the mixer a few times to scrape chocolate off the dasher or lid or to stir a bit with a spatula, but work as quickly as possible. The churning of the ice cream maker will break up the chocolate as it freezes.

2. Transfer a few scoops of semi-frozen ice cream to a container, drizzle some of the melted chocolate over top, stir, and repeat.

Regardless of the method you choose, you WILL get melted chocolate and ice cream all over creation. You will also wind up with a luscious homemade ice cream studded with flecks and streaks of chocolate. It’s so worth it.

Falling in Love Basque. From Fräulein Annie’s Facebook page, a sneak peek of a photo shoot for 2013.

For our lingerie pairing, I’m turning again to Fräulein Annie, a brand I mentioned in the shapewear post. I can’t get the Falling in Love range out of my head. Falling in Love is a Fräulein Annie continuity style, which means it will always be available in certain colors and certain sizes from season to season. This stunning Pearl Grey/Ivory colorway is one of them. Fräulein Annie’s collections are designed to offer multiple pieces to suit different figure types and sizes. For example, there is a shaping suspender, with boning and powermesh, which will fit women with curvy hips and rears, whereas women with straighter figures or narrower hips might prefer the waist cincher. The bra is available in a padded balconette style for sizes 32-38 A-D and an unlined underwired balconette style for sizes 32-38 DD-G (UK). A short, thong, and basque (A-DD cups) complete the set. While the prices are higher than, say, Freya or Panache, they’re extraordinarily reasonable considering the level of thought and care that’s gone into the design, construction, and even business model. All garments are constructed with both beauty and longevity in mind– this is lingerie to treasure and keep. It helps that it looks incredible. The pale colors pair beautifully with our ice cream, and the luxurious, elegant details echo the sophistication of the ice cream’s infused flavor. I’m having a miserable time finding a US retailer with this colorway in stock, but it’s available for purchase at Fusspot Lingerie and Amazon.co.uk, and there should be more US retailers in coming seasons. For more info on Fräulein Annie, go check out Hourglassy‘s and Fuller Figure Fuller Bust‘s interviews with Frauke Nagel, the designer and mastermind behind this exciting new brand.

Falling in Love Waist Cincher and Small-Bust Bra.

Falling in Love full-bust bra, thong, and shaping suspender.

The Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection Film, inspired by Hitchcock

Pistachio Ice Cream and Pistachio Lace

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Sweets

This is the first time I’ve ever been inspired to bake something new because I was just so damned excited about new underwear. So I’m gonna lead with that:

“Antoinette” Basque by Masquerade. Hello, my darling.

This is the Antoinette basque by Masquerade (one of Panache’s sister brands, sometimes known in the US as Harlequin, just to make navigating the US vs. UK lingerie markets SUPER EASY AND NOT AT ALL CONFUSING). Masquerade used to release the Antoinette collection (basque, bra, thong, short) in a new colorway every winter, and I LOVED it. Again, it was one of the first things I ever saw at Bravissimo, and it made me go “oh! For ME?! I can have it too? Oh joyous day!” Julia Lambert found one in her size in peach with black lace at a store in Chicago, I had one in teal with black lace a few years ago, and the one I saw on Bravissimo was hot pink with black lace. Continue reading →

Sweets’ Nutella Ice Cream

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Sweets

It started with this article from the Hairpin making the rounds in my newsfeed. Nutella, you and I have been apart for far, far too long. And then I realized I hadn’t made ice cream in a while, either, and lo, it was already mid-July, and I was wasting the summer, and then I realized how much closer I was to 28 than to 27, and then it turned into a true-to-form worry cycle. I think I know how to fix it, though.

I had tried making Clothilde’s Nutella Ice Cream once before, and it was great in a pinch, but it didn’t do it for me. It was too sweet and slightly grainy and it didn’t melt right and it just wasn’t ice cream enough for me. It was more like straight-up frozen Nutella, but with more sugar. Which is . . . fine, you know, if that’s your thing, but I wanted something more definitively ice-creamy. So I set out to make my own version, which usually goes interestingly (read: poorly), but I used Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream as my starting recipe. Nut butters already have plenty of fat and . . . emulsifiers? That is most definitely not the right word. Things that make other things thick and smooth and creamy. Anyway, I wanted to start with this recipe instead of a traditional egg-based custard, simply because I thought it would be easy to scale back the sugar and have Nutella ice cream without trying all that hard. Not to sound too smug, BUT I WAS SO RIGHT, YOU GUYS. Continue reading →

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Sweets

Okay, Time Warner, I forgive you a little bit, because my internet is working again, but only a little bit, because it started working on its own without your help. Ice cream for everyone except you.

David Lebovitz’s is one of my very favorite cooking blogs. He lives in Paris (swoon), he’s a majorly accomplished pastry chef, and he SERIOUSLY knows his stuff. He experiments with amazing flavors, adapts classic techniques, and the man knows his way around ice cream. I have yet to try a recipe of his I didn’t love. Each of the women in my family has one of the Cuisinart electric ice cream makers with the inner canister that you freeze overnight, and we have made some pretty great stuff between the three of us. They’re really good little machines for making outstanding ice cream at home (and my friend/neighbor makes frozen margaritas in hers, because she is a genius). Continue reading →

Sweet Nothings

Tag Archives: ice cream